A group modern dance section for troupes of four or more dancers, performing one prepared routine of up to four minutes including tags, where expressive movement, weight, floor work and a clear idea matter more than tricks or a fixed technique.
Modern Troupe is the section of a studio troupes event for group routines in a modern dance style. Modern dance is the broad family of expressive, non-ballet theatre dance that grew up in the twentieth century: movement that is driven by breath, weight and gravity, with contractions, spirals, falls and recoveries, floor work, and shapes chosen for what they say rather than for how they look in a fixed vocabulary. In a studio competition the label usually means a piece with a theme or feeling, performed barefoot or in soft shoes, that is neither a pure jazz number nor a lyrical ballad.
In this template Modern Troupe sits alongside Jazz, Classical, Contemporary, Musical Theatre/Entertainment and Tap troupes, and the syllabus it comes from lists Contemporary as its own section. That matters for entry: a troupe choosing Modern is saying the work is built on modern technique and ideas, so a routine that is really a contemporary piece with release work and partnering may be better placed in the Contemporary section, and a sharp, high-energy count-based routine belongs in Jazz. The syllabus does not define the styles, so the choreographer's honest reading of the piece is the guide.
Each troupe is a team entry of at least four dancers, boys and girls together, in one of six age divisions from 6 and under to 15 and over. The division is set by the oldest dancer rather than the average, as at 1 January of the competition year, and up to two dancers may be up to twelve months older than the division entered. The routine may run for no more than four minutes including tags, and the act is marked out of 100 under the label Marks.
Unlike jazz, lyrical and hip hop, this template has a single Modern Troupe class with no small and large split, so a four-dancer piece and a twenty-dancer piece meet in the same section. That puts the weight on a choreographer to choose a concept that suits the numbers: a quartet can show detail and weight-sharing, while a big troupe can build waves, layers and architecture. A busy section may be divided into A and B groups on the day, and one with very few entries may be combined with another, so the running order is worth checking once entries close.
Where Modern Troupe comes from
Modern dance began in the early twentieth century in the United States and Europe, when choreographers such as Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey broke from the rules of classical ballet and built new ways of moving from breath, the torso and the floor. Later generations added their own techniques, and modern work became a standard class in competitive dance programmes for children and teenagers.
Where Modern Troupe is run
In the eTalenter catalogue this exact section is carried by one template, an amateur troupes-only studio dance competition held over a weekend in New South Wales, Australia, where Modern Troupe is judged beside jazz, lyrical, hip hop, classical, contemporary, musical theatre and tap troupes. Group modern, lyrical and contemporary classes appear in studio, school and eisteddfod dance programmes in Australia and elsewhere, usually separated by age and by group size, and the same title can be defined differently from one event to the next.
- Australia
Key facts
- Team entry of four or more dancers; there is no separate small and large class for Modern in this template
- Boys and girls compete together, with no language requirement
- Six age divisions: 6 and under, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15 and over, set by the oldest dancer
- Four-minute maximum including tags, with an act that exceeds it liable to be cut off and disqualified
- Marked out of 100 as Marks; the syllabus prints no criteria, so the judging focus here is general advice
- Placings are First, Second, Third and Highly Commended, with no points attached in the template
On eTalenter, Modern Troupe is filed under Dance and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Modern Troupe is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to around 4 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Modern Troupe
What a Modern Troupe panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Quality of movement: weight, breath and flow are visible, so falls, spirals and recoveries look released and controlled rather than rushed or fought
- Concept and intention: the routine has a clear idea or feeling from the first picture to the last, and the movement, music and costume all serve it
- Group unity without sameness: dancers share timing, dynamics and the same movement quality, even when the choreography splits them into canons, layers or solos within the group
- Use of space and floor: pathways, levels and floor work are planned, and the stage is used from corner to corner rather than staying in one clump
- Technique and clean execution: lines, turns, balance and transitions are secure at the age and level of the troupe, with the hardest moments never sacrificing safety or placing
- Performance and connection: faces and bodies carry the story, dancers stay focused in the stillness as well as the big moments, and the troupe holds the audience for the full four minutes
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Modern Troupe under Scoring Setup, or start from our group dance judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Modern Troupe
How entrants and their teachers usually get Modern Troupe right on the day:
- Read the section list before entering and decide honestly whether the piece is Modern, Contemporary, Jazz or Lyrical; this template treats them as separate sections and the syllabus does not define them
- Cut the music to fit inside four minutes with a margin, and time the entry, any held opening picture and the closing tag within it, since an over-length act can be cut off and disqualified
- Check the oldest dancer against the 1 January cut-off, and remember that only two dancers may be up to twelve months older than the division entered
- Choose a concept that suits the number on stage: a small troupe can rely on detail, partnering and shared weight, a large troupe needs planned pathways and layers so the stage never looks crowded
- Teach movement quality before steps: warm up with floor work, contractions and spirals, and rehearse transitions slowly so that falls and recoveries stay controlled when the music speeds up
- Film run-throughs from the front and from above where possible, then review spacing, the stillness between phrases and any dancer who is late on a level change
- Ideas (not rules): build the routine on a single image such as tide, weight or gravity; start from stillness and let one dancer's movement travel through the group like a ripple; or set a floor sequence against a standing sequence and let the two meet in the final tag
Frequently asked questions
Is Modern Troupe judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter's templates it's most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
What is the difference between Modern Troupe and Contemporary Troupe?
This template lists them as separate sections but does not define them. As a general guide, modern work draws on the twentieth-century modern techniques and ideas, while contemporary work usually blends modern, ballet and jazz influences with release and floor technique. If a piece fits both, read the organiser's notice and ask which section the officials expect.
How many dancers are needed for a Modern Troupe?
At least four. In this template there is no upper limit for the Modern class, because it has no separate small and large troupe split like Jazz, Lyrical and Hip Hop/Funk.
How long can a Modern Troupe routine be?
Four minutes in this template, including any tags. The template notes that an act running over the limit can be cut off and disqualified.
Which age division does a mixed-age troupe enter?
The division is decided by the oldest dancer, not the average, as at 1 January of the competition year. Up to two dancers may be up to twelve months older than the division entered.
Are Modern Troupe marks published with criteria?
No. The act is marked out of 100 as Marks, and the syllabus this template comes from prints no judging criteria, so the focus listed here is general advice rather than a scoring table.
Want the full judging picture? Read our group dance judging criteria guide, or browse every dance competition item.
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